The 2004 United States presidential election in South Dakota took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose three representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. South Dakota was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 21.5 point margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise considered as a safe red state. Since 1940, the state has voted for the Republican nominee in every presidential election, except 1964. Primaries 2004 South Dakota Democratic presidential primary Campaign Predictions There were twelve news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day. D.C. Political Report: Solid Republican Associated Press: Solid Bush CNN: Bush Cook Political Report: Solid Republican Newsweek: Solid Bush New York Times: Solid Bush Rasmussen Reports: Bush Research 2000: Solid Bush Washington Post: Bush Washington Times: Solid Bush Zogby International: Bush Washington Dispatch: Bush Polling Bush won every pre-election by a double-digit margin. The final three poll average showed Bush with 55% to Kerry at 39 percent Fundraising Bush raised $399,805. Kerry raised $71,553. Advertising and visits Neither campaign advertised or visited this state during the fall campaign season. Analysis South Dakota politics are generally dominated by the Republican Party, and the state has not supported a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964 — even George McGovern, the Democratic nominee in 1972 and himself a South Dakotan, did not carry the state. Additionally, a Democrat has not won the governorship since 1978. As of 2006, Republicans held a ten percent voter registration advantage over Democrats and hold majorities in both the state House of Representatives and Senate. Despite the state's general Republican and conservative leanings, Democrats have found success in various statewide elections, most notably in those involving South Dakota's congressional representatives in Washington. Two of the three members of the state's congressional delegation at the time were Democrats, and until his electoral defeat in 2004 Senator Tom Daschle was the Senate minority leader (and briefly its majority leader during Democratic control of the Senate in 2001–02). Opposition to the Iraq War in this isolationist state did allow Kerry to improve upon Al Gore’s performance in 2000 by two percentage points. Kerry won four counties – Corson, Day, Roberts and Ziebach – that Gore